Sustainability is becoming vital to individual consumers across all industries, and the fashion industry is no exception. Designers, established and emerging, are under pressure to deliver truly sustainably made collections that continue to excite, inspire and transform. In support of SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) WWG is sharing the work and insights of three designers for whom sustainability fuels their creativity and innovation.
In the first of our three-part ‘Sustainable Storytelling’ series, Alexandra Sipa shares her experience and insight into transparent business practices, repurposing electronic waste, and her future plans for the Alexandra Sipa label.
What’s been the driving motivation for creating the Alexandra Sipa label?
The business was founded on the principles of transparency; ingenuity; and environmental, economic, and social sustainability. We started small, allowing us to control every step of the production cycle and have complete oversight of our environmental and social impact each step of the way. The brand has already become synonymous with an innovative handmade wire lace technique developed through a sustainable hybrid lacemaking practice that uses electrical wire. By rescuing discarded electrical wires, the brand attempts to address the issue of electronic waste, one of the fastest growing sources of waste, reaching 50 million tonnes in 2020. Not only is the fabric materially sustainable, but its low cost also incentivises economic and social sustainability, allowing workers to enjoy greater proportional benefit from the sale of these garments.
AW21 Collection: Discarded Electrical Wires Lace Denim Jacket.
I am inspired by my Romanian upbringing and heritage. AW21 explores the contrast between heightened austerity and extreme femininity in the country. In Romania, nothing is blended- from the 18th Century Turkish & 20th Century French influences to the brutalist, communist & modern glass buildings. In contrast with the communist past of the country, the women are always very careful about the way they look, getting all dressed up for a supermarket trip and loving the ultra-glamorous, ultra-feminine look. Consequently, the clothes pull you into two directions: sensuality & alertness and impulsivity & timidness. This allows a playful lightness to come through the collection, sharing the joy found in Eastern Europe and the Balkan Region. I hope to bring awareness of a different side of Eastern Europe- a post-communist, hopeful and soft side.
AW21 Collection: Recycled Polyester Printed Camo Top with Lace Applique, & Discarded Electrical Wire Floral Hoops.
Why were you drawn to repurposing discarded electrical wires, and how did you develop your hybrid lacemaking practice?
I was looking into untapped waste that I could repurpose, as well as my Romanian heritage and childhood memories. It was one of the first times I was using my memories and places that were special to me as a design starting point. The idea ultimately came from me playing around with my broken headphone and usb chargers. Alongside using waste in a new, luxurious way, I really wanted to learn, preserve and reinterpret a craft, and so I taught myself lace making by watching YouTube videos and reading library books.
My dream is to stay in Italy to learn new lace making skills from experienced lacemakers. Lace making was key to empowering women throughout history, allowing them to break free from the social constraints and support themselves financially. I plan on continuing that tradition in the future, through the creation of good, ethically paid artisanal jobs.
AW21 Collection: Discarded Electrical Wires Floral Lace Shorts.
The lace dress in Look 13 is dear to me because it was the first large lace piece I made. The entire piece is a research project, full of trials and errors, that laid the foundations for what I am doing now. All the lace flower motifs, finishings and colours are inspired by my grandmother’s house in Bacau, Romania. Her house is covered in doilies and lace curtains paired with brightly coloured furniture. The degrade and colour changes of the wire lace are inspired by the chipped paint on her yard’s fence. Every time I visited her, there was a new colour painted on, but after a while you could see all the other ones that came before.
(Look 13) Discarded Electrical Wires Lace Dress with Beach Towel Jacket.
How do you see your work evolving in the future?
We’re a small team now, but we plan to hire full-time lacemakers and technicians and expand our artisanal team in the coming years. I want to expand our offering to include more accessories, shoes and interior design pieces, as well as dive into other waste sources that could be repurposed. One of my motivations to start a brand was to be able to employ and help talented emerging creatives. In the future, we hope to create sustainable production centres throughout Europe in rural areas. Both the UK and Romania currently face similar issues of this nature with large areas of the countries in [economic] decline. Not only would bringing jobs back to these areas help revitalize them, it would allow us better oversight of our production processes, and the ability to continually experiment with and improve our sustainability measures.
AW21 Collection: Discarded Electrical Wires Lace Floral Bra.
Photographs by Annemarie Sterian.
Find Alexandra’s work here.
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